What a Welcome

Day 1 & 2

It was a surprise to see Lucy roll into the parking lot of the Hardee’s Saturday morning.  Like Renee, she came to see us off.   Saturday’s ride was some secondary roads and some major highways totaling 340 miles as we pulled into the Econo Lodge at 5:15 p.m.  The plan was to meet another group of UTR members there for the night and then we would all ride together on Sunday into Paintsville.  They arrived at 5:30 just in time for dinner.   The weather was hot with just a few sprinkles of rain not enough to even get the bikes wet.  

 

Breakfast at 7 and then we pulled out at 8:10 traveling some really great roads through VA, WVA and then KY; route 460 is a great road, mostly dual with sweepers that can easily be taken at 55 and 60 mph.   The morning started out cool with fog hanging low over the fields then the sun came out and the world heated up.   Just before our planned stop for lunch around 12:30 some dark clouds began moving overhead and suddenly the sky opened up and buckets of water poured over us.  Thank goodness we were within a mile or two of a McDonalds but the rain didn’t last long and by the time we finished our lunch the sky was bright and the roads had even dried.  240 miles brought us to Paintsville by 3:10 p.m.  and as we pulled into the hotel’s parking lot and rolled up to the front door out comes a man with a TV camera.  As we enter the lobby there is a large poster with our logo and a welcome sign with a table set up with representatives from the local Tourism office giving us gift bags and the mayor is on hand to welcome us to Paintsville.   Everyone is kind of stunned to be receiving this type of welcome; after signing the guest book; receiving our gift bag and registering we head outside to unpack.  I was surprised to have the TV man stop me and ask for an interview for the local TV station.   It’s been a long day and we head for dinner at 5:45 and again get caught in a downpour and thunderstorm as we leave the restaurant.